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History on Air
Dan Patterson's photo of Doolittle Raiders Tom Griffin and Travis Hoover
Did you miss Dan Patterson's commentary on the life of Doolittle Raider Tom Griffin? Catch it here and view pictures on WYSO Public Radiio, 91.3 FM.
In the News




National Park Service Arrowhead Symbol
The National Aviation Heritage Area is a part of the National Park Service's National Heritage Areas program.
Col. Charles Young home proclaimed a U.S. national monument
Photo of Col. Charles Young

President Obama has proclaimed the Wilberforce home of Buffalo Soldier Col. Charles Young to be the Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument under the Antiquities Act, the White House announced Monday, March 25.

 

Col. Young was the highest-ranking African-American commanding officer in the U.S. Army from 1894 until his death in 1922. He also served as the first African-American superintendent of a national park, overseeing Sequoia and General Grant (now Kings Canyon) National Parks while commanding a troop of Buffalo Soldiers in the years before the creation of the National Park Service, according to the White House statement.

 

Young's fraternity, Omega Psi Phi, made the site of his former home available to the federal government to establish a monument dedicated to him, Greene County Parks & Trails Director Chrisbell Bednar said in welcoming the announcement. "We're proud Greene County is home to this national treasure that honors Col. Young and his achievements," she said.

 

Bednar also said having this national attraction will benefit the region's economy by increasing local tourism and creating jobs.
Dayton Air Show ready for June
B-29 Fifi

Military budget cuts have forced several major air shows to cancel this year-including the Cleveland and Indianapolis air shows-but not the Vectren Dayton Air Show, scheduled for the weekend of June 22-23 at Dayton International Airport.

 

Oganizers have booked America's top civilian, warbird and private military jet acts to guarantee a crowd-pleasing event.

 

Fifi, the world's only flyable Boeing B-29 Superfortress, will return for the first time since 1994. The four-engine bomber will amaze fans with flyovers accompanied by simulated bomb blasts and a "Great Wall of Fire" by Rich's Incredible Pyro.

 

Privately owned military jets will include a North American F-86F Sabre, Douglas A-4B Skyhawk and an original Soviet-designed MiG-17 fighter jet. Civilian acts will include Skip Stewart, Melissa Pemberton, wingwalker Jane Wicker and the outrageous School Time jet school bus. The one-of-a-kind Wright "B" Flyer will return for flybys each day. 

Please visit www.daytonairshow.com for more details and tickets.
Hoot Gibson to speak at Champaign Aviation Museum dinner
Robert

Retired Navy captain and NASA astronaut Robert "Hoot" Gibson will speak at the Champaign Aviation Museum's gala dinner-its first fundraiser to support the collection of airworthy vintage planes-on Saturday, April 13 at 5:30 p.m.

 

The event includes dinner, music, dancing and-weather permitting-a flyover of the museum's restored B-25 Mitchell bomber. Tickets are $100 and should be purchased by April 1. Please call 937-652-4710 or visit www.champaignaviationmuseum.org to order.

 

Gibson is a veteran of five space shuttle missions and an avid racer in the Reno Air Races. The Murfreesboro, Tenn., resident flew combat missions over Vietnam and graduated from the Navy's famed Top Gun combat school.

Trailblazer Luncheon April 16
Aviation Trail Inc. logo

Aviation Trail Inc. (ATI) has chose Roger McClure, an ATI trustee, to receive its annual Trailblazers Award for his work to advance many aspects of aviation in the Miami Valley. ATI will present the award at a special 30th anniversary luncheon on Tuesday, April 16 at the Dayton Marriott Hotel.

 

The luncheon also celebrates the birthday of Wilbur Wright, who co-invented the airplane in Dayton with his younger brother Orville. Wilbur was born April 16, 1867.

 

Cost is $35.00 per person. Please visit www.aviationtrailinc.org for more details and reservations.
Ohio Aviation Association Annual Conference
OAA conference logo
The Ohio Aviation Association (OAA) represents airport operators and aviation interests in Ohio. Its 2013 conference will take place April 16-17 at the newly remodeled Crowne Plaza Columbus North. Scheduled speakers include Amanda Wright Lane, great-grandniece of the Wright brothers and a NAHA trustee. Go here for conference details and registration, or visit www.ohioaviation.org.

The National Aviation Heritage Alliance (NAHA) is a private, not-for-profit corporation designated by Congress as the management entity of the National Aviation Heritage Area. The Heritage Area encompasses an eight-county area in Ohio (Montgomery, Greene, Miami, Clark, Warren, Champaign, Shelby and Auglaize counties.) NAHA's vision is to sustain the legacy of the Wright brothers and make the Dayton region the recognized global center of aviation heritage and premier destination for aviation heritage tourism.

PO Box 414 * Wright Brothers Station * Dayton, OH 45409
[email protected] * 937-443-0165